Azusa Masaki Jurai (柾木 阿主沙 樹雷, Masaki Azusa Jurai) is a character in the official Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki continuity. He is the Emperor of the planet Jurai, and patriarch to the House Masaki, though his wife Funaho is the head of the house while he sits on the throne of Jurai.

History

Azusa was born to Amame Masaki Jurai of House Masaki of the Jurai Royal Family and Kazuki Yotsuga, a Galaxy Police Officer. Amame left Jurai and her status as a Royal Family member to be with Kazuki. However, she would not be allowed to return to Jurai and any offspring she had would not be allowed to return as a member of House Masaki without two of the other three Houses agreeing to it.

Sometime after Azusa was born, Seto, the "Devil Princess of Jurai," took an interest in restoring

Azusa as a child.

House Masaki who, by this time, had virtually no influence. Things had happened which resulted in House Masaki having no one to lead it. So when Azusa turned eight, Seto decided to pay Amame and Kazuki a visit. Seto wanted to take Azusa back to Jurai to groom him to be the new head of House Masaki. She had already gotten approval to proceed with her plan by getting House Kamiki, House Amaki (who currently held the throne), and House Tatsuki to agree to allow Azusa to return as a member of House Masaki. Young Azusa wanted nothing to do with Seto or her plans to return him to Jurai, even though his parents encouraged it. He didn't want to be parted from his parents and hated the fact that his mother would not be allowed to return.

However, Seto enjoyed a challenge and would not give up. Amame predicted to Kazuki that Seto would eventually get her way by leading Azusa to say he wants to come Jurai. For two years, Seto worked on Azusa by visiting him as often as she could, becoming like a 2nd mother to Azusa much to the chagrin of Amame. By doing this, Seto had worked her way into Azusa's heart without him even realizing it.

Azusa asks Seto to take him to Jurai and train him.

It was a full-scale invasion of their colony by a group of pirates that changed everything. Azusa's parents took command of the defenses of the heavily outnumbered colonists. The 10 year old Azusa was in the rear of the colony, but additional pirate forces attacked the rear and he was the only one standing in their way. Amame had trained Azusa in Juraian martial arts, so even though he was only 10 years old, he was no ordinary boy. He was able to fend off this force of pirates for a time, but eventually was overcome and surrounded. Azusa showed no fear of the pirates, but did believe that had he only been stronger, he could have overcome the pirate band. However, he had to be rescued by Seto, who displayed incredible power while defeating hundreds of pirates. Witnessing this awoke Azusa's Juraian blood and as his mother predicted, Azusa willingly went with Seto to Jurai without Seto without Seto having to force him.

For over three years, Azusa trained hard on Jurai under the tutelage of Seto. While he did not mind the hard training, the cultural studies classes were not to his liking. He often attempted to run away from Seto rather than attend dance class. Seto used Azusa's flight from class as additional training, even though he was likely unaware of this at the time.

When a young Azusa was brought to head House Masaki, Mitsuki, a Juraian girl who was supported by five Royal Trees, spotted him. She eventually arranged for a transporter accident so that Azusa would wound up in her room. Azusa fell in love with her and she with him (despite the age difference). Their secret meetings were soon discovered by the head of House Amaki, Shuzan, and he confronted the pair in Mitsuki's room. He attempted to use Azusa's forbidden meetings with Mitsuki to have Azusa punished and to further his ambition to be next Emperor, but Seto intervened by telling Syuuzen that he would suffer the same punishment as Azusa for also meeting with Mitsuki (when he confronted her and Azusa). Shuzan decided not to pursue the matter.

The next day, a tree ceremony for Azusa was held with Lady Seto, the Emperor, Kotono (head of House Amaki), and Mitsuki present. There was great surprise as Azusa was not partnered with any 3rd or 2nd-generation trees. As such, Azusa was allowed to proceed to the floor where the 1st-generation trees resided. Only Mitsuki followed him here. She told him of her connection the Royal Trees and the trouble that she inadvertently caused and then told him to take her unnamed tree. He protested saying it was hers and that he couldn't hear the tree's voice. She told him he was hearing the trees voice even now and revealed that her right eye was in fact made from the sap of the tree and thus the key to the tree. She cut herself off from the support of the 1st-generation trees and reminded Azusa of his promise to show her the outside world. He re-promised and she died as she began to tell him she loved him. Azusa placed Mitsuki into the royal tree's uro (a room/hole in the tree, seen in OAV episode 2 where Tenchi and Sasami jumped into or from where Ayeka came out in the beginning of the episode) where a small crystal pond of sap lay. Azusa placed Mitsuki into this small pond where she is preserved to this day. Azusa then named the tree Kirito (Fog Sealing) after a story Mitsuki had told him.

With Azusa partnered with a 1st generation Royal Tree, he was immediately the leading candidate to be emperor once the current emperor died. Thus House Masaki had risen from a nothing house to the house almost certain to produce the next emperor.

Young Azusa

Azusa took Kirito, now housed within a core unit and placed in a tree-ship hull, and his droid guardian Jiji on a warrior striving journey. Seto continued her training of Azusa by staging pirate attacks on his ships who just happened to have beautiful young women. Her purpose in this was to make sure Azusa didn't cheat on the girl she'd arranged for him to marry -- Misaki Kamiki Jurai, Seto's still underaged daughter. The second purpose was to make sure that Azusa does not succumb to his pirate blood and shirk his responsiblities as head of House Masaki once he experienced the freedom of the warrior's journey.

One distress call received by Azusa turned out to be very real indeed. This time, his opponent showed signs of being no ordinary pirate. Indeed, rather than run away, this pirate turned to intercept Kirito. Azusa and Jiji boarded the pirate ship where they were greeted by Kagato, playing his piper organ. A discussion between the two soon ends with Azusa using the Master Key, wich was in the form of an energy sword, to attack Kagato The battle does not go well for Azusa, and Kirito, sensing the danger Azusa was in, evacuated him to safety.

Kagato's ship, Soja, attacks Kirito, whose Light Hawk Wings are able to absorb the attack. One of Kirito's Light Hawk Wings are able to slice the Soja. This brings Kagato's enslaved pirate, Ryoko, and her powerful ship Ryo-Ohki on the scene. Ryo-Ohki is able to do the impossible and overcome Kirito's Light Hawk Wings. The ensuing battle causes a dimension rip in space to appear. The ships are about to be consumed in the breach when the goddess Tsunami appears. She repairs the breach and sends Kirito, with Azusa inside, to Earth.

On Earth, Azusa is nursed back to health by a young woman, Funaho, and her family. He comes to fall in love with

Azusa with Masaki.

her, and when a group of pirates who've made a base on Earth threatened her and her family, he battles and defeat them. During his time, Azusa discovers Masaki, sister of the first emperor of Jurai, is still alive in astral form on the dark side of the moon.

Azusa convinced Funaho to return with him to Jurai. Shortly after they arrived, the Emperor passed away, ending his several thousand year reign. This meant that the election by the four Houses would be held and Azusa would be named emperor. However, before this could happen, Azusa declared that Funaho would be his first wife. The head of House Kamiki (husband of Seto, and father of Misaki who was betrothed to Azusa), Utsutsumi, withdrew his support for Azusa. Shuuzan used this to attempt to be named Emperor. While arguments raged over this bomb that Azusa had dropped on them, Funaho and Misaki were both bonded to a set of twin second generation Royal Trees, which together had the power of a first generation Royal Tree.

Because Funaho was chosen by a 2nd generation tree, this put the debate of the four Houses to rest, and it was decided that she would in fact be the first queen instead of Misaki. Further, it was learned that Funaho was in fact a descendant of Masaki, the younger sister of the first emperor of Jurai.

Azusa was made Emperor and because he could no longer be Head of House Masaki, Funaho took that role. Six years later, Azusa and Funaho are married and four years after that, their son Yosho is born. Five years later, Azusa marries Misaki. Three years later, Ayeka is born to Azusa and Misaki. Around this time, Yosho attends his tree ceremony and like his father, Yosho is also chosen by a 1st generation tree, making him next in line for the throne and House Masaki the most powerful of all four houses. Seven years later, Misaki gives birth to Sasami.

Azusa with his two wives.

After Ryoko's attack on Jurai three years later, Yosho, would gain his father's disappointment after leaving the planet and his responsiblites for a life on the developing planet Earth using his battle with Ryoko as an excuse to slip away. Seven hundred years later, Ayeka and Sasami would also take to living on Earth with Yosho's grandson, Tenchi Masaki.

Azusa's relationship with his great grandson Tenchi is complicated as he is not happy that Yosho disregards his wishes by continuing to live on Earth and denying his status as heir to the throne while also making Tenchi his successor. This is partly due to Azusa just being a dad. Azusa is proud and once he'd made up his mind, that was it.

Kiriko Masaki's bonding ceremony. He along with the other members of the Supreme Council -- Seto, Funaho, and Misaki -- appeared when it was revealed that Seina had become part of Jurai's royal line. He then makes a final appearance in the series during Seina's wedding.

Azusa is the owner of the only first-generation currently in the Juraian fleet, Kirito. Yosho's tree Funaho is also first generation, but at the moment it is currently rooted on Earth, while Tsunami-Fume, which belongs to Sasami, is 0th Generation. Being a first generation ship, it is blessed with enormous power, although not invulnerable.

His personality is slightly arrogant and proud, but he possess a good heart, being recognized as a symbol of power and honor through the whole galaxy, as the strength of Jurai itself.